Virtual Customer Agent Simulation for Retail Layout Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Retail spaces face challenges in effectively simulating customer behavior to assess design changes without actual modifications, as existing methods lack accurate prediction of customer responses to stimuli and do not provide actionable data for improving retail space layouts.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize observed customer behavior data to generate a model for customer responses, create a virtual retail space, and simulate customer agent behavior based on probabilities, allowing for the analysis of design changes in a virtual environment to generate useful data for operators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If physical modifications are made to retail spaces to test design changes, then accurate customer response data can be obtained, but the cost and time required for implementation increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of retail spaces and customer agents that replicate real-world behavior patterns. Instead of modifying physical spaces, the system builds digital twins of store layouts and populates them with virtual customers whose behaviors are derived from observed real customer data, enabling virtual testing of design changes
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by collecting and analyzing real customer behavior data beforehand to build behavioral models. These models are then used to predict customer responses to design changes before any physical modifications are made, allowing operators to pre-assess the impact of potential changes
2Loss of time
If virtual simulation methods are used to assess design changes, then the time and cost are reduced, but the accuracy of predicting customer responses deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where virtual customer agent behaviors are continuously refined based on comparisons between simulated outcomes and actual observed customer data. This feedback loop improves the accuracy of behavioral models over time, allowing the virtual simulation to better predict real customer responses
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adjusts key parameters in the virtual simulation, including the complexity of customer behavioral models, the fidelity of store environment representations, and the granularity of data collection. By optimizing these parameters, the system achieves high prediction accuracy without requiring excessive computational resources or time
3Measurement precision
If detailed customer behavioral models are created to improve simulation accuracy, then the precision of predictions increases, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the complex simulation into modular components: virtual store environment modules, customer agent modules with individual behavioral models, and analysis modules. Each component handles specific aspects of the simulation independently, making the overall system more manageable and easier to implement despite the high level of detail required
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for simulating behavior of agents in a virtual environment are described. Observed customer behavior data for a retail space may be received. A model for customer behavior in the retail space is generated, the model including probabilities for customer responses to a plurality of stimuli. A virtual customer agent is built based on the model for customer behavior. A virtual retail space is built and modified, the modified virtual retail space including at least one different design feature from the virtual retail space. In the modified virtual retail space, the virtual customer agent is simulated performing a predetermined list of tasks based on the probabilities for the customer responses. Simulated customer behavior data, including responses of the virtual customer agent to the modified virtual retail space, may be generated based on the simulation.